VANK: Where Passion Meets Purpose
VANK is a community of passionate individuals who turn their enthusiasm into meaningful action.
This section introduces the organization’s mission and vision,
showing how VANK transforms passion for Korea’s history and culture into global influence.
Our Vision
“The mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows, it becomes the largest of all plants and turns into a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”
This story begins with a letter exchange between a young man and his friend from overseas.
He told his friend about Korea but was caught off guard by the unexpected response.
His friend had misunderstood Korea, wanted to learn more about the real Korea, and said he hoped to visit one day.
Moved by this heartfelt reaction, the young man started working as an online tour guide to help foreigners discover Korea.
Later, he began reaching out to international organizations that were giving a misleading view of Korea and sent letters to set the record straight.
In 1999, these efforts led to the founding of a private organization called VANK (Voluntary Agency Network of Korea).
VANK began to take root and developed a greater dream for the Republic of Korea.
VANK envisions the Republic of Korea as the center of Asia and the gateway to Northeast Asia:
an economically prosperous nation that uses its wealth to extend love and generosity to the world.
Furthermore, it dreams of a people who are friendly and rich in spirit—sharing their dreams and friendship with all, and in turn, being loved by all.
VANK is moving forward with a sense of mission and dedication to realize these visions.
Just as sprouts emerge from roots, VANK began to cultivate “cyber diplomats.”
These individuals are not mere disseminators of information but rather people who promote Korea through friendship and sincerity.
VANK believes that the most crucial first step for cyber diplomats is to build friendships through heartfelt conversations.
As a result,
friends who once knew nothing about kimchi began poring over Korean dictionaries,
foreign friends aspiring to work as diplomats in Korea started preparing for the foreign service exam,
and some even wrote directly to publishing companies to correct inaccurate place names.
The genesis of all these changes was a single idea—”Korea, the country of my friend.”
We know that small yet consistent activities, carried out with sincerity, are ultimately the surest way to transform Korea’s image in the world.
The efforts of VANK’s cyber diplomats have led to a variety of initiatives, helping VANK grow into a lush tree.
People of all ages—from elementary school students to seniors—participate, with young people’s contributions being particularly notable.
The youth, often weary from academic pressures and internet culture, are discovering genuine “living education”
through interactions with international friends, and actively engaging in promoting accurate information about Korea.
Furthermore, as interest in real-world issues like Japan’s historical distortions grows,
VANK’s “Promoting Korea Correctly” movement is spreading even wider.
Based on these activities, VANK is currently pursuing several key projects.
The lush leaves represent the achievements VANK has gained through its various activities so far,
and they also symbolize the challenges we must continue to pursue.
Before thinking, ‘What can I do alone?’,
if more people share the “mustard seed faith” that even a tiny seed can grow into a large tree,
that seed will never remain small.
Korea is changing.
VANK’s efforts to introduce Korea to people worldwide are having
a positive impact on politics, economy, society, and culture as a whole.
To properly promote Korea, we must first truly understand and love our country, and then correct what’s wrong.
Just as a small seed becomes a lush tree, one person’s change can transform Korea and the world.
VANK continues to uphold that belief.
A lush tree with abundant branches and leaves naturally attracts many birds to nest.
Just as more life gathers as a tree grows,
VANK works to bring and connect more people under the “tree” of Korea.
These “nesting birds” are friends from all over the world.
We believe that sharing friendships with them, understanding each other’s dreams,
and growing together is the next image of Korea we should create.
A forest is a space for sharing, a place where countless lives reside.
VANK hopes Korea becomes such a “forest of hope.”
A place where friends from around the world can gather, build friendships, and nurture each other’s dreams.
Currently, Korea is looking at an era of 200 million Hallyu fans,
and the world’s gaze toward Korea—its music, dramas, technology, food, and people
—is becoming increasingly warm and deep.
However, negative images like “divided nation” or “small country” still coexist.
The national brand we must build should transcend these images,
becoming a trusted friend’s country, a country that shares.
To achieve this, VANK continues its efforts to promote
“Friendly Korea, the country of my friend” worldwide.
When this vision becomes a reality, Korea can grow into a nation where not just economic success, but also political trust, cultural inspiration, and social maturity are in harmony.
We believe that just as a single seed becomes a tree, and a tree becomes a forest,
small interests will gather to form friendships, and those friendships will grow into a forest of hope connecting the entire world.
Through its “Woollim” and “Yeollim” platforms, VANK is paving a new path for K-policy Hallyu.
And through its international cooperation platform, it will create a warm and
sustainable society that connects beyond Korea to Asia and the entire world.
Through open governance, we aim to create a door for anyone to communicate with the world, raise their voices together,
and build a global citizen community where dreams are realized together.
Today, VANK continues to plant seeds, nurture trees, and collectively cultivate a forest that connects the entire world.
Our History
- 1999 Founding of VANK
- Oct 2001 Launched ‘Promoting Korea Correctly‘ campaign
- Nov 27 2002 Received Presidential Citation (KOWOC)
- Dec 31 2002 Received Presidential Citation (Government Information Agency)
- Aug 2004 Designated Korean History Cyber Guard in This Week’s Figure (Munhwa Ilbo)
- March 2005 Creation of VANK X KMLA → spread to schools nationwide
- Oct 9 2005 Received Presidential Citation (Ministry of Culture and Tourism)
- Nov 15 2005 Received Infortrust Awards (listed as internet site we must preserve)
- Jan 14 2009 Received NAVERHOOD Award
- Jun 3 2009 Received Presidential Citation (Ministry of the Interior and Safety)
- Aug 20 2009 Creation of World Changer website (changer.prkorea.com)
- Apr 9 2010 Received 1st Yumin Awards in society category (JoongAng Ilbo)
- Oct 5 2011 VANK course created at College of Languages & Cultures, Hanyang Univ.
- Mar 12 2013 VANK course created at College of Social Science, Kwangwoon Univ.
- Aug 15 2013 Creation of Global Village Chief Academy website (school.prkorea.com)
- Oct 28 2015 Received Dokdo Peace Award (Dongdo Award)
- Jun 29 2016 Received iECO Award (Special Achievement Award)
- Jan 17 2018 Received Dokdo Sarang Award (Northeast Asian History Foundation)
- Aug 2020 Received Haegong Democracy and Peace Prize in global leader category (Gwangju City)
- Nov 4 2021 Creation of Bridge Asia, digital diplomacy platform (bridgeasia.net)
- Oct 15 2022 Creation of Woollim, national policy proposal platform (woollimkorea.net)
- Nov 9 2022 Park Gi-tae, Director, received Dosan Award in social integration category (Dosan Academy)
- Dec 8 2022 Received Presidential Citation (Cultural Heritage Administration)
- Oct 24 2024 [Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee, National Assembly] Attended inspection of state administration, proposed policies to Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism
- Mar 1 2025 Creation of Yeollim, national policy communication platform (yeollimkorea.net)